Trailer hitch



Nov. 28, 193 9. J o DUNCAN 2,181,178

TRAILER HITCH Filed July 25, 1938 i9 1. j v mvzm-on :Patented Nov. 28, 1939 p i H t Tammie HITCH John- 0. Duncan,-Fresn0, Galif assignor. of. onehalf? to. Charles, G; Li'est,,. Fr sno, Calif. Application July 25,1938, Serial No. 221,075

I 7 2 Claims; (-Cl.28'033.17) I This;- invention relates in" general to-ahitch or body I; the adjacent. faces oi these heads being coupler for use betweena motor vehicle and aformed con'cavefaces 9 whos'e' radiusii's'thattrailer; the invention being specifically directed of ball- 5. The-head lis disposed in the body ad to, and it is my prihcipalobj'ect to" provide, a jacent but' spaced fromth'e; inner'end df'fcylind'er traiIerhitCh-oftheball and socket type-which portion 3; there being a. heavy duty compressior i 5 is so" constructed: that it may be readily and spring I-ll seated-inarraxiahbore I I and engaging quickly coupled or uncoupled and yet when the ad'jacent iace" of said hea'd T. To preventcoupled is positively locked against accidental escape of-head1 laterallythroughslotlithe-ad separation of the male and female portions, jace'nt portiom o'fs'aid slot-is"- reduced arcuate thereof.

Additional objects of the invention are to prohead. vide a novel locking arrangement for the hitch, The other socket head 8 is disposed in the body and to provide an included spring element in in spac relation. from head 1 and the y s the hitch which not only serves as a shock abconstructed so that when head 8 is moved into sorber but also maintains proper engagement of engagement, withthe adjacent end of the body, 15 the members of the socket unit with the ball so sufiicient clearance is provided between the heads that wear is taken up as. it occurs. for the insertion of ball 5 through the slot 4 A further object of the invention is to prointo the body. After the ball is so inserted, it is duce a simple, quiet, free and inexpensive device u y but leleasablyheld in Operative P t and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for between heads I and 8, as shown in Fi n t e the purpose for which it is designed. followin manner:

These objects I accomplish by means of such A circumferential slot I2 is cut in the body on structure and relative arrangement of parts as theside pp slot slot being 0f e ame will fully appear by a perusal of the following width as and radially alined with the space bespecification and claims. tween head 8 and adjacent closed end of the body In the drawing similar characters of ref-er 'W e b 5 is engaged b e t e heads as once indicate corresponding parts in the several shOWn in Head 3 is moved into such D views: tion from its retracted position, as shown in Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the hitch ieby means of a projecting t ger B which W h t e socket unit and ball separated. extends through a longitudinal slot I4 which opens Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away, at One end into Slot 30 of the device in operative position. The head 8 is held in operative position by Figure 3 is a cross ti on li 3 .3 of means of a locking key which is inserted through Fig, 2. slot I2 and prevents retraction of head 8., The Referring now more particularly t th h thickness of the key is substantially the width acters of reference on the drawing, the hitch of Slot and Such k y Comprises a normally comprises a hollow cylindrical body I which is paced pair of elements held n such Spaced closed at both ends and provided at one end with elation y Compression Springs d gu ded an axially projecting stem or shank 2 adapted for by a crossvpin t n p e Outer connection with the forward end of a trailer edges elements are formed With a Curve UNITED sures threw extent,.-as:at- 4a, to. less than the diameter of the 40 tongue in any suitable manner. For con the radius of which is the same as thatof the of manufacture, the stem end of the body preferinterior of the body so as to closely engage he ably i initially open and t t comprises a same. The slot I2 is of less arcuate extent than solid metallic cylinder which projects some disthedtameter of the interior of the body that tance, as at 3, into said open end. The body and the Curved Portions of elements O the ey metallic cylinder are secured together in fixed, must be contracted 0 the key can be relation as by pressing or we1djng serted or removed from the-body. The other end On one side the body is formed with a longiportions of the elements 15 project from the body tudinal slot 4 of suificient length and arcuate When the y is in p e d serve a handles 50 extent to permit the ball 5 of the hitch assembly y m ns of w h i em n i n contracto pass therethrough into said body. The ball 5 tion can be accomp 50 includes the usual neck 6 adapted for connecn h hitch is coupled 0r uncoup as tion with the motor vehicle. dicated and when coupled, the key positively pre- A pair of complemental circular socket heads I vents accidential separation of the socket unit and 8 are slidably disposed in thecylindrical from the ball. Further, the spring l0 not only serves as a shock absorber but also maintains a certain pressure of the head 1 against the ball as is desirable to assure quiet operation without undue binding which might otherwise occur, While eliminating any loose play.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction 'of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a ball and socket trailer hitch, a socket unit comprising a hollow body having an opening in one side to permit entry of the ball, a pair of complemental socket heads disposed in the body in spaced relation, said heads having concave adjacent faces adapted to engage the ball, one of said heads being mounted for sliding movement to and from a ball engaging position, a slot cut through the body in a plane at and beyond theback of said one head, and a key adapted for insertion through said slot when said one head is in a ball engaging position to then prevent retraction of said head, the body being cylindrical and the arcuate extent of the slot being less than the interior diameter of the body, said key comprising a pair of normally spaced parallel elements, means mounting said elements together for guided contracting movement and spring means between the elements to resist such movement; the elements at one end portion being formed with outer edges curved on substantially the same radius as the interior of the body.

2. In a ball and socket trailer hitch, a socket ,unit comprising a hollow and cylindrical body closed at its ends, said body having an opening in one side to permit entry of the ball into the body, a pair of socket heads slidably disposed in the body in spaced relation, adjacent faces of the heads being concave and adapted to engage the" ball, a trigger mounted on and extending radially from one head, the body having a longitudinal slot through which the trigger projects, whereby said trigger may be manipulated to move said head to and from a ball engaging position, a locking key, the body having another slot cut therethrough to receive the key, the key when inserted therein blocking said one head against retraction from a ball engaging position, means in the body to limit retractive movement of the other head, and a compression spring engaging said other head and resisting such movement. JOHN O. DUNCAN. 

